Pump apparatus with scavenger for check valve assembly



N. CORDIS Dec. 13, 1966 PUMP APPARATUS WITH SCAVENGER FOR CHECK VALVE ASSEMBLY 5 Shee ts-Sheet 1 Original Filed Nov. 14, 1961 N. comma ggg gg PUMP APPARATUS WITH SCAVENGER FOR CHECK VALVE ASSEMBLY Dec. 13, 1966 I5 Sheets-Sheet 2 Original Filed Nov. 14, 1961 N. CORDIS Dec. 13, 1966 PUMP APPARATUS WITH SCAVENGER FOR CHECK VALVE ASSEMBLY 3 Sheets-Sheet 3- Original Filed Nov. 14, 1961 United States Patent 4 Claims. (Cl. 103-153) This application is a division of copending application Ser. No. 152,204, filed November 14, 1961, entitled Variable Proportioner, and issued as US 3,213,796.

This invention relates to a self-powered fluid proportioning apparatus of the variable type adapted for mixing a treating fluid with a raw fluid and discharging the fluids into a distribution means. More particularly, the invention relates to a system wherein a stream of Water powers the apparatus as, for example, in medicating drinking water of livestock, including poultry.

Many types of equipment have heretofore been proposed for feeding into a first fluid stream, such as water, a second fluid, including drugs, vaccines, nutrients, sanitizing, deodorizing, and softening materials and the like. Such prior systems, however, have been complicated in construction, unreliable in operation, cumbersome in use, not adapted for both portable and automatic continuous installation, have not been self-powered, nor variable.

A primary object of the invention is to provide a system for feeding a treating fluid into a first fluid in selected and variable proportions over a wide range of pressures and flow rates of the first fluid. Another object of the invention is to provide a system which requires no power for operating the apparatus other than the fluid stream being treated. An additional object of the invention is to provide an eflicient and reliable device which is portable and rugged. It is a further object of the present invention to provide new and novel self-powered apparatus for continuously and automatically treating raw water streams with fluid treating agent or adjuvant. It is also an object of the invention to provide an apparatus particularly adapted for use in processing drinking water and for delivering the treated water under pressure into the Water distribution system, such as a poultry Watering system including drinking troughs having float-controlled inlet valves. A further object is to provide an apparatus for blending detergents with water for washing operations. These and other objects of the invention will become apparent as the description thereof proceeds.

Briefly, according to my present invention, I provide a self-propelled fluid blending or treating apparatus which includes a hydraulic master motor means operated by a primary raw fluid to be treated, a slave pump means for the treating fluid actuated by such motor, and a delivery means through which the fluid used to operate the motor and the treating fluid from the slave pump are commingled and discharged. Such delivery means may include a mixing chamber or manifold.

The slave pump and hydraulic motor comprise a unitary system wherein piston means in the hydraulic motor is provided with a cylindrical chamber reciprocatable along or over a fixed slave hollow pump plunger. The

3,291,066 Patented Dec. '13, 1966 relative travel of the master piston in the fluid motor and the slave pump plunger is controlled by an adjustable linkage between the motor and the pump.

A pumping chamber having check valve means communicates with the fixed follow plunger and the treating agent and the water are discharged into the delivery manifold means wherein the fluids become intimately mixed.

Details and advantages of the apparatus, in accordance with this invention, will be described by reference to the accompanying drawings wherein:

FIGURE 1 is an elevation in perspective;

FIGURE 2 and FIGURE 3 are opposite end elevations;

FIGURE 4 is a top view;

FIGURES 5 and 6 are elevations partly in section;

FIGURES 7 through 10 illustrate details of the gating valve mechanism of FIGURES 5 and 6;

FIGURE 11 is a fragmentary end view showing details of the slave pump valve means; and

FIGURES 12 and 13 are fragmentary views showing details of certain components in FIGURES 4 and 5 in enlarged scale.

Referring to the drawings, the apparatus illustrated includes the water inlet 10, the water outlet 11, the watergating assembly 12, the water motor 13, reset tappet means, connecting rod 15, slave pump 16, and treating agent valve chamber means 17 having inlet 18 and outlet 19.

The water enters the valve chamber 20 in the watergating assembly 12 through line 10 and is gated into the motor body 21 alternately via port 22 or 23 to apply fluid pressure on opposite sides of the motor piston 24 via channel 25 or 26. The slave pump 16 comprises a connecting rod 15 carried by the piston 24, rod 15 passing through one end wall 28 of the motor body 21. The tubular pump cylinder 29 is mounted by an end flange 30 in the opposite wall 31 of the motor body 21 and is provided with the O-ring gaskets 30a on both sides of the flange 30, as shown in FIGURES 4 and 5.

The slave pump valve means 17 fixed to the end wall 31 contains the inlet and outlet check valve assemblies 18 and 19, the inlet connection and outlet channel 33. The piston 24 is driven by the water entering the gating system 12, 22, 23 and expelled by the piston 24 alternately through channels 42 and 43, shunt valve 55 and the manifold valve block 45 which discharges through outlet 11.

When the connecting rod 15 moves the plunger 40 away from the closed end of the pumping tube means 29, treating fluid is drawn into the treating agent valve assembly 17 through the open inlet check valve 18 and at the same time the suction produced by the withdrawal of the plunger 41) within the hollow pumping tube 29 closes the outlet check valve 19, which when subsequently opened discharges through the tube 33 and line 11.

When the direction of travel of the pumping plunger 40 is reversed in following the motion of the motor piston 24 through the rigid connecting rod 15, the inlet check valve 18 closes and the outlet check valve 19 opens so that the treating fluid trapped in the pumping tube 29 is ejected by plunger 40 under pressure into outlet conduit 11 in the manifold 45 via channel 33. The water and medication are discharged in a proportion based upon the displacement volume of the slave pump 16 and the motor piston 24.

If desired, a multiplicity of check valve-pump assemblies may be provided and actuated by the water motor 13. In this way several types of treating agents or additives may be blended with the water at the same time.

The pumping valve block 17 houses the inlet check valve 18 and the outlet valve 19. The inlet check valve 18 and the outlet check valve 19 comprise plugs 46 and 48 held by springs 111 against the valve seats 50 and 51. A delivery tube 33 communicates with the valve block 17 above the spring-loaded plug 48 and discharges into the line 11.

The slave pump 16 includes the cylinder shaft comprising the connecting rod for piston 24 with its axial bore and plunger 40. The treating fluid pumping tube 29 is tubular with an internal pumping channel terminating in chamber a. On a suction stroke of the pumping plunger 40 the plug 46 of inlet check valve 18 lifts to open the port 50; and the plug 48 on the outlet check valve 19 closes the outlet port 51. When the pumping plunger 40 is on the ejection stroke, this situation is reversed so that the plug 48 is lifted and the plug 46 is positioned.

The gating system 12 includes a valve plug 55, the valve leaf spring 56, and the valve shaft 57 disposed within the valve chamber 20 in the valve block 45. These components are shown in detail and in subassembly by FIGURES 7 through 10 in the drawings. In FIGURE 6, the valve block 45 is shown in cross-section and illustrates the alternate positions of plug 55 and flows through the channeled block.

Opposite ends of the valve shaft 57 are provided with O-rings 59 and 60 to effect a fluid-tight seal. The valve plug 55 is shifted from two extreme positions, alternately closing and exposing the ports 22 and 23 leading to channels 22a and 23a, respectively, which direct the flowing fluid to opposite sides of the motor piston 24.

The connecting rod 15 projects through the end wall 28 and supports the actuating arm 61 which terminates at its upper end in a bore 62 through which the reversing rod 63 passes. A pair of C-rings 69 and 70 on the reversing rod 63 comprise travel stops contacted by the arm 61 for shuttling the reversing rod 63 between its positions.

The upper end of the valve shaft 57 is provided with a toggle lever 64 which is actuated by coil spring 65 anchored at one end to the post 66 carried by the free end of toggle lever 64, and is anchored at its other end by the inverted post 67 which is fixed to the shiftable reversing rod 63 which is slidably carried within the guide 68 secured to the valve block 12.

When the actuating arm 61 contacts either of the stops 69 or 70, the movement of the actuating arm 61 is imparted to the reversing rod 63 which in turn shifts the spring anchor post 67 with the result that the spring 65 swings about the post 66 carried by the toggle lever 64 until there has been suflicient travel thereof to shift the toggle lever 64 by the action of the spring 65. When this occurs, the valve shaft 57 is rotated and moves the valve plug 55 to a different diverting position. The travel or throw of the free end of the toggle lever 64 is controlled and restricted by posts 71 and 72 fixed to the valve block assembly 12.

As the piston 24 travels in the motor cylinder 21 the connecting rod 15 carries the actuating arm 61 with it causing the toggle lever 64 to pivot between the two positions determined by the posts 71 and 72. At the limits of travel of the reversing rod 63, the shunt valve 55 is placed in the alternate positions as shown in the drawings. This causes the water to course through the channels 22a or 23a leading to the opposite sides of the piston 24 thereby displacing the piston 24 to opposite ends of the motor cylinder 21 and actuating the slave pump 16 as described.

The illustrated embodiment of the invention includes the screen, the washer, and the pressure-responsive flow restricter in the inlet 10, but these may be omitted as 4 unnecessary with clean fluid and moderate flow pressure.

Referring to FIGS. 4, 5 and 12, the O-rings 86 and 87, urged axially by the wedge-like faces of the end plug 89 and the collar 93, expand the chevron seal 88, and the tool slot in the end of the plug 89 permits adjustment in place. The motor piston 24 within motor cylinder 21 has tubular connecting rod 15 fixed to it and projecting axially of end wall 28. The connecting rod 15 contains bore accommodating the adjustable shaft 81, which includes the threaded portion 82, the adjustment nut 83, the balancing spring 84 about the shaft 81, the slave pump plunger head 85 having O-rings 86 and 87, the expandable chevron seal 88, and threaded end plug 89. The spring 90, arranged about the constricted portion 91 of the shaft 81, has one end a abutting the plunger shoulder 92 and the other end 90b acting against collar 93 floating on the shaft 81 to abut shoulder 94 within the bore 80 in propelling slave plunger head 85 after compressing spring 90. The slave pump plunger 85 operates within the cantilever-mounted slave pumping barrel 29 which is extendable within the chamber 801). The adjustment of these components determines the time lag in the operation of the slave pump in relation to the travel of the piston 24.

The exposed end 810 of the shaft 81 has its threaded portion 82 extending through stop yoke 95, forming part of the bracket 96 fixed to the end plate 28 of the motor housing 21. Adjusting proportioning nut 83 in one extreme of its travel abuts the stop yoke which is the minimum or decreased proportion position.

Moving the proportioning nut 83 outwardly of the end 810 of the shaft 81 decreases the proportion delivered by the slave pump 16, and positioning the proportioning nut 83 inwardly of the yoke 95, to contact spring 84, increases the quantity of the fluid delivered by the slave pump 16; in these adjustments the lengths of springs 84 and 90 are altered whereby the effect of movement of the piston 24 necessary to actuate the slave plunger 40 in suction and delivery strokes is correspondingly altered.

The shaft 81 within the bore 80 in the connecting rod 15 is fluid-sealed by an O ring 97. The hollow shaft or rod 15 with its cylindrical chambers 80b and 800 accommodating the spring 90, the shaft 81 having threaded portion 82 on which the proportioning nut 83 runs and axially adjusts the delayed projection and retraction of the slave plunger, when taken together comprise an adjustable connecting rod means by which the motion of the motor piston 24 is imparted to the slave plunger head 85 relative to the cantilever pump barrel 29 which is axially aligned with the connecting rod means and reciprocates therewithin.

A proportioning scale 100 may be carried by the bracket 96 with indicia 101 thereon correlated with the settings of the proportioning nut 83, whereby the selected proportions of raw power fluid, such as water, and of the treating fluid delivered by the slave pump 16 are selected and blended.

Thus I have provided a system for treating or blending fluids in selected variable proportions. The apparatus includes a fluid motor comprising a cylinder, a piston, a piston connecting rod means for power take-off, and a fluid gating means in combination with a slave pump means comprising a treating fluid valving means, a slave pump barrel projecting axial-1y inward of the motor cylinder, 2. variable stroke slave plunger means carried within the hollow connecting rod means and operating within the slave pump barrel which communicates with the treating fluid valving means. Slave plunger adjusting means is provided exterior of the motor housing whereby the proportions of raw fluid and treating fluid blended therewith can be varied even during operation of the device.

A novel check valve assembly 17, shown in detail by FIGURES 4 and 11, includes a valve block, a lower inlet poppet valve plug 46, a lower valve screw cap 102 having an inlet channel 103 and a plug seat 50. The inlet check valve 18 includes a plug 46 having a body portion 105 and a tapered spring 106 extending between the plug 46 and tapered bore 116. A transverse flow chamber 20a comprises an extension of the pumping channel in the tube means 29 and the plug 89 on the end of the plunger 40 projects into chamber 20a on each ejection stroke to displace all fluids from the block D through the outlet check valve 19 and discharge them via nipple 107, tubing 33 and delivery line 11.

The upper end of the discharge valve cavity 113 is closed by screw cap 114 having an axial inward projection 115. Outlet poppet plug 48 comprises a body portion 105 having an upper axial projection 108, an O-ring seal 109, and a depending guide stem 110. A tapered spring 111 engages the axial projections 115 and 108 and urges the O-ring 109 on plug 48 against the tapered seat 51. The lower inlet poppet valve plug 46 comprises corresponding components; however, the normally closed check valves 18 and 19 are in opposed array to that the inlet valve 18 opens on the suction stroke and the outlet valve 19 opens on the delivery stroke.

In operation, the intake assembly 73 connected to the inlet end of the conduit 77 is placed within a vessel containing the treating agent. The assembly 73 includes a cylindrical strainer screen 74 and two end plates 75 and 76, one of which is provided with a port to receive the tubing or conduit 77. The assembly may be weighted with a ball-bearing or the like so as to assure that the inlet end of the conduit 77 remains near the bottom of the vessel.

The invention as described discharges mixed fluids from the conduit 11. If desired, an auxiliary mixing chamber (not shown) may be provided but ordinarily this is not necessary, the proportioner providing adequate agitation and mixing of fluids.

The drawings accompanying this specification show numerous details of construction which have not been designated by individual reference numerals. However,

it will be apparent to one skilled in the art that these.

details include such items as grease cups, hose connectors, screws, valve block plugs, O-rings and the like. The end plates 20 and 31 are provided with feet, but it is contemplated that screws or bolts may be substituted for securing the apparatus to a base (not shown).

Materials of construction will be selected to be compatible with the fluids. For example, with corrosive treating agents we may use a nylon pumping plunger head 85 in a glass or stainless steel sleeve 4-0 as the pumping tube, and the check valve assemblies 18 and 19 in block 17 may be of plastic or stainless steel. Other metals provided with ceramic or plastic coatings may also be used.

Additional features of the described invention include providing a pulsating meter and pump device, including a flow control member comprising a dual-valve block 17, said block having inlet and outlet ports 50 and 51 with a pumping chamber 20a intermediate the ports. A first flow control plug is disposed between the inlet port 50 and the pumping chamber 20a whereas a second control plugs 48 is disposed downstream of the pumping chamber 20a in the block 17. Each of said first and second flow control plugs 46 and 48 is provided with an O-ring 109 forming a seal with its associated port 50 or 51. Tapered first and second coil springs 106 and 111 urge each of said plugs 46 and 48 into sealing relation to the respective ports 50 and 51. Each coil spring 106 or 111 has end apertures receiving a stem 108 on the plug it positions. The opposite end of each such tapered spring 106 or 111 comprises a tapered shoulder which is nestled into a correspondingly shaped recess 116 in the block 17 and/or a stem 115 on threaded cap 114.

Although the invention has been described with particular reference to a preferred embodiment thereof, it

should be understood that this is by way of illustration only and that modifications therein may be made in view of the teachings, without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.

What is claimed is:

1. A pumping device comprising opposed check valve means including a dual-valve block, said block having an inlet and an outlet spaced therefrom, a transverse pumping chamber in said block communicating with said inlet and outlet, a pumping plunger operating in said pumping chamber, said plunger including a reciprocating shaft, an adjustable end plug threaded on said shaft, a shoulder on said shaft spaced from said end plug, and an expandable seal on said shaft between said shoulder and end plug, a first poppet valve interposed said chamber and said inlet and a second poppet valve controlling said outlet, said first poppet valve comprising a plug member having a first axial projection which extends into said inlet, an O-ring about said first projection, a second axial projection extending upwardly from said plug, and a compression coil spring having an end thereof about said second projection and normally urging said first projection and said O-ring into the inlet, and said second poppet valve comprising a second plug member, projection, and O-ring, and a second coil spring, both of said springs urging the associated poppet valves into normally closed positions.

2. In a pulsating metering apparatus comprising a valve chamber having an inlet, a removable combination end closure for said chamber and inlet metering check valve extending within said chamber, said metering check valve controlling said inlet, a bridging wall across said chamber, a flow port through said wall, flow duct means intermediate said check valve and said flow port communicating with a pumping cylinder, and a plunger operating in said chamber, the improved plunger including a reciprocating shaft, an expandable seal on said shaft, a pair of O-rings embracing said seal, a shoulder on said shaft, said seal and O-rings being disposed between said shoulder and said end plug, a removable outlet check valve means seated in said flow port in said bridging wall and controlling flow through said flow port, and a delivery port from said valve chamber downstream of said outlet check valve.

3. In a device comprising opposed check valves in axial array, a flow chamber between said valves, a transverse chamber terminating in said flow chamber, and a plunger operating in said flow and transverse chambers, the improved plunger comprising a reciprocating shaft, a cylindrical deformable seal on said shaft, a shoulder on said shaft, an adjustable end plug on said shaft and of lesser outer diameter than said seal, said plug extendible into said flow chamber to scavenge pumped fluid therefrom, and a pair of O-rings, one each being disposed between said shoulder and seal and between said seal and plug, respectively whereby said seal and O-rings are placed in compression between said shoulder and plug and said seal is expanded by said O-rings to seal the transverse pumping chamber.

4. In a pumping means including a cylindrical pumping chamber, a transverse unidirectional flow chamber across an end of said pumping chamber, check valve means controlling flow into and from said flow chamber, and a pumping plunger operating cyclically in said pumping and flow chambers, the improved plunger comprising a shaft, an end plug on said shaft operating in said flow chamber, a cylindrical plastic seal on said shaft extending axially of said plug, said end plug being of lesser diameter and of greater length than said plastic seal, and thrust means on said shaft, said end plug and said thrust means placing said plastic seal in compression and radially expanding the end portions thereof to be in fluid sealing contact with the inner wall of said pumping chamber.

(References on following page) 7 8 References Cited by the Examiner 2,621,017 12/ 1952 Yohpc 251-114 2,726,908 12/1955 Nied 92+206 UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,831,325 4/1958 White 1o3 153 11/ 1909 Cordley 2,884,004 4/1959 Dierdorf 137 540 10/1916 B1115 et a1 2,907,614 10/1959 Rosen 92206 1/1923 Marshall 103-453 X 2,935,365 5/1960 Dega 277l88 2/1926 Scot? 103-453 2,942,617 6/1960 Gilliam 37 543 7/ 1930 Davls 3,053,500 9/1962 Atkinson 251 332 251332 t gig-i2; 3,066,801 12/1962 Lundeen 137512X agnuson 12/1942 Foster 103-228 FOREIGN PATENTS 4/1949 Pilch 92206 231,332 9/1960 Australia.

5/1950 Kuehii 251-322 1 1/1951 James 137 540 LAURENCE V. EFNER, Przmary Exanzuzer. 9/1952 Lowther 103-153 15 WILLIAM F. ODEA, Examiner. 

1. A PUMPING DEVICE COMPRISING OPPOSED CHECK VALVE MEANS INCLUDING A DUAL-VALVE BLOCK, SAID BLOCK HAVING AN INLET AND AN OUTLET, A PUMPING PLUNGER OPERATING IN SAID PUMPING CHAMBER, SAID PLUNGER INCLUDING A RECIPROCATING INLET AND OUTLET, A PUMPING INCLUDING A RECIPROCATING PUMPING CHAMBER, SAID PLUNGER INCLUDING A RECIPROCATING SHAFT, AN ADJUSTABLE END PLUG THREADED ON SAID SHAFT, A SHOULDER ON SAID SHAFT SPACED FROM SAID END PLUG, AND AN EXPANDABLE SEAL ON SAID SHAFT BETWEEN SAID SHOULDER AND END PLUG, A FIRST POPPET VALVE INTERPOSED SAID CHAMBER AND SAID INLET AND A SECOND POPPET VALVE CONTROLLING SAID OUTLET, SAID FIRST POPPET VALVE COMPRISING A PLUG MEMBER HAVING A FIRST AXIAL PROJECTION WHICH EXTENDS INTO SAID INLET, AN O-RING ABOUT SAID FIRST PROJECTION, A SECOND AXIAL PROJECTION EXTENDING UPWARDLY FROM SAID PLUG AND A COMPRESSION COIL SPRING HAVING AN END THEREOF ABOUT SAID SECOND PROJECTION AND NORMALLY URGING SAID FIRST PROJECTION AND SAID O-RING INTO THE INLET, AND SAID SECOND POPPET VALVE COMPRISING A SECOND PLUG MEMBER, PROJECTION, AND O-RING AND A SECOND COIL SPRING, BOTH OF SAID SPRINGS URGING THE ASSOCIATED POPPET VALVES INTO NORMALLY CLOSED POSITIONS. 